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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. prune — to trim
  3. present — there
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. present — a gift
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cap — of ice
  18. present — the time now
  19. board — to get on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — a committee
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cap — a hat
  24. snap — to speak sharply

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com